The King, the Snake and the Promise

EMU music (available through the Good Book Company and Emu music)

£10

This Australian cd is a musical Bible overview aimed at children aged 3-11 (although those younger and much older enjoy and benefit, too!). The 29 tracks take you from Genesis to Revelation with songs and spoken links. It is great for giving a sense of Biblical chronology and follows the theme of ‘God’s people in God’s place, under God’s rule’. An added benefit is the 10-week teaching plan included as an adobe file. We have used this with after-schools clubs, as Sunday morning children’s talks and with a school Christian Union group. The plan covers the same themes as the songs and includes templates for a banner which can be made. Again, we have made the banner; used the images as powerpoint slides; put text with the images to make workbooks which can be kept… One omission is Moses, which is a problem for some groups - we’ve added a week about him, on occasions. The Good Book company sell a small Bible timeline, which can be a really helpful accompaniment.

Sarah McQuaker
Children’s and Youth Worker
Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church

Their God is So Big

by Stephanie Carmichael

Published by Matthia Media (The Good Book Company)

204 pages
£10

This is an excellent resource for those teaching the Bible to young children (aged two to seven years) - both for those who are new to the ministry and for those who have been teaching for a while. The book is designed to be used either by an individual or in small groups as part of Sunday School training.

Stephanie Carmichael writes with obvious love for the Lord and his word; and for young children and those who seek to teach them. The book includes clear instruction and ideas, as well as exercises where relevant Bible passages are studied, or one can reflect on personal practise.

A wealth of relevant topics are covered, without being too overwhelming! Stephanie starts by looking at the character and role of the Sunday School teacher. She then moves on to teaching the Bible - with helpful material on child development (both physical and spiritual) and on how to understand the passage, plan to teach it and design a lesson. This is helpful material even for those who used pre-prepared resources, such as ‘Click’ (Good Book Co). She has some great ideas for simple crafts! Chapters on discipline and the practicalities of running a group are clear and encouraging; covering everything from the teaching environment and creating a happy atmosphere in the group, to safety, organisation and how to evaluate lessons. There is also a chapter on being a Sunday School superintendent.

Every time I come back to this book, I find something else to encourage, inform and inspire me to teach this Big God to little ones!

Sarah McQuaker
Children’s and Youth Worker
Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church

The CYTG has been visiting churches to ask them about their kids/youth work.  If you haven’t completed a questionnaire yet, please click here to open the questionnaire.  Once you have completed the questionnaire please save it to your pc and then email it to P-J Guy (Task Group Chair) at pjguy@lindfield.info.  Thank you.

Remember Remember:

teaching memory verses to children

Author - Andrea Marshall
Series Editor - Alison Mitchell

Cost - £8

“How can we teach this part of scripture in a unique, engaging and creative way?” That’s often what I find myself saying when I come to think about teaching memory verses in youth and children’s ministry. Whether it’s in the Sunday club, after school clubs, holiday club, or youth group, it’s hard to come up with any ideas to teach the memory verse other than the tried and tested method of writing the verse on the screen and removing one word at a time. That of course is a useful and valid way, but I often think it would be nice to have a few more ideas up my sleeve.

Andrea Marshall has put together an excellent resource to aid youth and children’s workers in their efforts to be creative in teaching bible verses. Inside there are 96 different ideas that you could use to help the children in your care become more familiar with scripture. The material is split into sections based on what props will be needed, eg, a white/blackboard, jigsaws or boxes. Within those sections there are a range of ideas using those props for various ages ranging from 3-11. The resource contains ‘photocopiables’ to use with the ideas as well as a useful introductory reminder of the importance of learning scripture with young people. Although the material does not cover suggestions for teenagers, many of the ideas could be adapted to suit an older age group. If we are committed to training young minds to learn scripture in an imaginative and age appropriate way, this is a great resource to draw upon to aid us in that work.

Rich Arnold
Youth and Families Minister
Holy Cross Church

The Jesus Storybook Bible

Written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago Silver.
Published by Zonderkidz

For ages 4-8
Cost:  £8.99

I really, really like this Bible. The author’s intent is to show children that there is one main story within all the stories of the Bible - the story of the good news of Jesus. As the front cover says, ‘Every story whispers his name’. The author is a brilliant storyteller and children’s writer, retelling key passages of scripture in a vivid and engaging way, with a wonderful turn of phrase. My children loved having it read to them. The delightful illustrations are refreshingly different and compliment the text, invariably bringing a smile to the face! Best of all, the telling of the stories simply makes you want to love God for his glorious plan of salvation. I have read this bible through a number of times with my family as part of our family devotions and it has truly been a great blessing. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Every family should have one.

P-J Guy, Curate @ All Saints Lindfield

FAQs - Biblical Answers to Youth and Children’s Leaders’ Questions

Edited by Alison Mitchell. Published by the Good book company

160 pages
Cost: £8

The concept behind this book is brilliant, take 10 experienced youth and children’s ministers and ask them the top 10 questions that people came up with at Big Issue training days. FAQs is their answers.

Covering a brilliant range of topics
• What is Christian youth work?
• What are the criteria for good children’s and youth leaders?
• How can we teach the whole counsel of God?
• How can we encourage young people to read the Bible?
• How do we pitch our teaching for a mixed group?
• How do we put a programme together?
• How do we encourage teenagers to get serving?
• How can we keep effective discipline?
• How do we integrate young people into the congregation?
• How can we build bridges with parents?
• How can we get our church leadership excited?

The answers are packed full of excellent suggestions and practical advice. I have used chapters at our monthly leaders meetings to review how we are doing. The chapters are neither long nor theologically lightweight. Some youth ministers I know would like to make it obligatory for
• their ministers to read chapter one, to see if they really do have a shared vision for children’s and young people’s ministry.
• the parents they serve to read chapter one so that they will know what to expect for Bible centred youth and children’s ministry.
• the volunteers who help out with youth and children’s ministry to read chapter one to see the great and noble calling they have.

Re reading it, I’m inclined to agree. In a word - brilliant.

Rory Graham
Youth Minister
All Saints, Crowborough

Christian Youthwork

by Mark Ashton and Phil Moon,
updated by Jonathan Carswell

Published by Authentic Media

238 pages
Cost: £7

Ian Fry’s comments (the Director of the Children’s and Ministry course at Oak Hill College) on the front cover promise much from this book and a careful reader will not be disappointed.

Mark Ashton and Phil Moon bring a plenty of experience but most significantly firmly held Biblical convictions to the subject of Christian Youth Ministry. In a time when big is beautiful and youth congregations are the norm, their observations on how the Bible encourages the discipline and training of young people is provoking.

Ashton and Moon are now some distance from the front line of Youth ministry, but the accusation that this book is outdated is not persuasive. The word of God and the hearts of young people haven’t changed.

I wasn’t expecting to hear too much that was new as I re-read this book, but found myself encouraged and stimulated as I read it pen in hand. The review questions at the end of each chapter are helpful in forcing you to think through the implications of what you have just read before you dive in for more.

Should read: All those with a heart to see young people become mature followers of Jesus. It might especially help someone who was thinking “What are the principles that will underpin the work this church family does with young people?”

Shouldn’t read: Those who are looking for “5 easy steps to a large youth group.”

Rory Graham
Youth Minister
All Saints, Crowborough